Is It Weird To Go To A Music Festival Alone?

Throw your insecurities out the window. It is not weird to go to a gig, or a concert, or a music festival alone.

Swinging it solo at the Borneo Rainforest World Music Festival 2016.

I’ve been to several music festivals and gigs on my own, namely Urbanscapes, Good Vibes Fest, and more recently, a three-day fiesta at the Borneo Rainforest World Music Festival. This is what I’ve learnt: The weird feeling we get about being at a music festival alone is all in our head.

It’s our fear of being judged. When I was spring chicken, I used to feel self-conscious just to eat alone at a restaurant. I’d feel the weight of a thousand eyes over my shoulders. I’d miss out on once-in-a-lifetime events because no one wanted to go with me. I didn’t watch movies and plays that I really wanted to because my friends weren’t interested in it.

Societal expectation says the kid eating alone at the canteen is sad and weird. I say that’s poisonous thinking; the kid eating alone at the canteen is brave and independent.

No matter at a restaurant or a concert or a talk, no one cares that you’re alone. Everyone’s too busy having the time of their lives to give a flying fishcake about who you are and what are you doing here alone. No one’s looking at you, and if they are, they’re probably going to ask you to join them.

Grabbing a beer with some new found friends.

Unlike a seedy bar or a night club, most if not everyone there has the same music taste as you. They are sincerely there for the music and not to pick up chicks. Most professionally organised music festivals have proper security measures and should generally be safe to go alone. Just don’t do something stupid like getting too drunk or high.

In the off chance that someone does look at you funny, just remember that you are never, ever, going to see them again in your life. You don’t know them, they don’t know you, why care about what they think? You don’t need to justify yourself just because they’re the one feeling uncomfortable about you having a good time on your own.

Everyone should go to a gig or a music festival alone at least once. Once you release your insecurities and stop worrying about peer pressure, you’ll have a crazy fun time. It’s the same as travelling alone; if solo backpacking is not weird, why should it be weird to enjoy a music festival alone? If you get bored, just strike up a conversation with someone. Who knows, suddenly you’ll have three new friends with the best story of how you guys met.

Bumping into old friends at a music festival all the way in Sarawak. Oh, how small the world is!

You need to be comfortable to go on a date with yourself and be your own source of happiness. It’s healthy. What’s not healthy is depending on others for joy. It’s not healthy to wait for other people before you can do the things you enjoy.

So stop waiting for someone to go along with you. Stop missing out on life experiences because no one wants to go. You want to go, so, go. Go experience new bands. Go dance in the rain like no one’s watching. Go close your eyes let yourself be possessed by the music. Go unleash your inner Napoleon Dynamite. You are being serenaded by an amazing band, you are listening to your favourite music, you are having an amazing adventure. Go get lost in the moment, fudge what everyone else thinks, and go dance.

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